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Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry and... Jul 2022Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a complex neurodegenerative disorder and the most prevalent cause of dementia. In spite of the urgent need for more effective AD drug therapy...
IMPORTANCE
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a complex neurodegenerative disorder and the most prevalent cause of dementia. In spite of the urgent need for more effective AD drug therapy strategies, evidence of the efficacy of combination therapy with existing drugs remains unclear.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the efficacy of combined drug therapy on cognition and progress in patients with AD in comparison to single agent drug therapy.
METHODS
The electronic databases MEDLINE and EMBASE were systematically searched to identify relevant publications. Only randomized controlled clinical trials were included, but no limits were applied to language or time published. Data were extracted from May 27th until December 29th, 2020.
RESULTS
Three trials found that a combination of ChEI with additional memantine provides a slight benefit for patients with moderate to severe AD over ChEI monotherapy and placebo. However, a further 4 trials could not replicate this effect. One trial reported benefits of add-on in donepezil-treated patients with moderate AD (using a formula containing Gingko and other antioxidants) compared to donepezil with placebo. A further trial found no significant effect of combining EGb 761® and donepezil in patients with probable AD over donepezil with placebo. Approaches with idalopirdine, atorvastatin or vitamin supplementation in combination with ChEI have not proven effective and have not been retried since. Fluoxetine and ST101 have shown partial benefits in combination with ChEI over ChEI monotherapy and placebo. However, these effects must be replicated by further research.
CONCLUSION
Additional memantine in combination with ChEI might be of slight benefit in patients with moderate to severe AD, but evidence is ambiguous. Longer trials are needed. No major cognitive benefit is missed, if solely appropriate ChEI monotherapy is initiated.
Topics: Alzheimer Disease; Cholinesterase Inhibitors; Donepezil; Drug Therapy, Combination; Humans; Indans; Memantine; Piperidines
PubMed: 34476990
DOI: 10.1177/08919887211044746 -
Frontiers in Pharmacology 2023Adverse drug reactions (ADRs) are the main safety concerns of clinically used medications. Accumulating evidence has shown that ADRs can affect men and women...
Adverse drug reactions (ADRs) are the main safety concerns of clinically used medications. Accumulating evidence has shown that ADRs can affect men and women differently, which suggests sex as a biological predictor in the risk of ADRs. This review aims to summarize the current state of knowledge on sex differences in ADRs with the focus on the commonly used psychotropic, cardiovascular, and analgesic medications, and to aid clinical decision making and future mechanistic investigations on this topic. PubMed search was performed with combinations of the following terms: over 1,800 drugs of interests, sex difference (and its related terms), and side effects (and its related terms), which yielded over 400 unique articles. Articles related to psychotropic, cardiovascular, and analgesic medications were included in the subsequent full-text review. Characteristics and the main findings (male-biased, female-biased, or not sex biased ADRs) of each included article were collected, and the results were summarized by drug class and/or individual drug. Twenty-six articles studying sex differences in ADRs of six psychotropic medications, ten cardiovascular medications, and one analgesic medication were included in this review. The main findings of these articles suggested that more than half of the ADRs being evaluated showed sex difference pattern in occurrence rate. For instance, lithium was found to cause more thyroid dysfunction in women, and amisulpride induced prolactin increase was more pronounced in women than in men. Some serious ADRs were also found to exert sex difference pattern, such as clozapine induced neutropenia was more prevalent in women whereas simvastatin/atorvastatin-related abnormal liver functions were more pronounced in men.
PubMed: 37201021
DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1096366 -
The Angle Orthodontist Jul 2020To investigate and synthesize systematically the evidence from animal studies pertaining to the effect of pharmacological agents on tooth movement relapse following...
OBJECTIVES
To investigate and synthesize systematically the evidence from animal studies pertaining to the effect of pharmacological agents on tooth movement relapse following cessation of orthodontic force application.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
An electronic search was conducted in seven online databases (including gray sources) without restrictions until the third week of April 2019, followed by a hand search in the reference lists of eligible articles. Controlled animal studies investigating the effect of pharmacological agents on tooth movement relapse following orthodontic treatment were selected. Relevant data were extracted from eligible studies and the risk of bias assessment was done using SYRCLE's risk of bias tool. The quality of evidence was assessed using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation tool.
RESULTS
The search identified 2354 records, of which 7 studies were deemed eligible for inclusion in the qualitative synthesis, with the majority presenting an unclear risk of bias. Orthodontic relapse was shown to decrease with the administration of pamidronate disodium, atorvastatin, aspirin, and chemically modified tetracycline-3. Inconsistent effects on relapse were observed after the use of simvastatin. The overall quality of retrieved evidence was assessed as low at best.
CONCLUSIONS
The available evidence shows that the investigated pharmacological agents may demonstrate variable effects on tooth movement relapse following cessation of orthodontic force. Additional evidence of higher quality is required to draw definitive conclusions on their effects and to make potential recommendations for clinical application.
Topics: Animals; Dental Care; Health Behavior; Humans; Recurrence; Tooth Movement Techniques
PubMed: 33378496
DOI: 10.2319/092619-613.1 -
American Journal of Kidney Diseases :... Jan 2017To simultaneously evaluate the relative efficacy of multiple pharmacologic strategies for preventing contrast-induced acute kidney injury (AKI). (Comparative Study)
Comparative Study Meta-Analysis Review
BACKGROUND
To simultaneously evaluate the relative efficacy of multiple pharmacologic strategies for preventing contrast-induced acute kidney injury (AKI).
STUDY DESIGN
Systematic review containing a Bayesian network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
SETTING & POPULATION
Participants undergoing diagnostic and/or interventional procedures with contrast media.
SELECTION CRITERIA FOR STUDIES
Randomized controlled trials comparing the active drug treatments with each other or with hydration alone.
INTERVENTION
Any of the following drugs in combination with hydration: N-acetylcysteine (NAC), theophylline (aminophylline), fenoldopam, iloprost, alprostadil, prostaglandin E, statins, statins plus NAC, bicarbonate sodium, bicarbonate sodium plus NAC, ascorbic acid (vitamin C), tocopherol (vitamin E), α-lipoic acid, atrial natriuretic peptide, B-type natriuretic peptide, and carperitide.
OUTCOMES
The occurrence of contrast-induced AKI.
RESULTS
The trial network included 150 trials with 31,631 participants and 4,182 contrast-induced AKI events assessing 12 different interventions. Compared to hydration, ORs (95% credible intervals) for contrast-induced AKI were 0.31 (0.14-0.60) for high-dose statin plus NAC, 0.37 (0.19-0.64) for high-dose statin alone, 0.37 (0.17-0.72) for prostaglandins, 0.48 (0.26-0.82) for theophylline, 0.62 (0.40-0.88) for bicarbonate sodium plus NAC, 0.67 (0.54-0.81) for NAC alone, 0.64 (0.41-0.95) for vitamins and analogues, 0.70 (0.29-1.37) for natriuretic peptides, 0.69 (0.31-1.37) for fenoldopam, 0.78 (0.59-1.01) for bicarbonate sodium, and 0.98 (0.41-2.07) for low-dose statin. High-dose statin plus NAC or high-dose statin alone were likely to be ranked the best or the second best for preventing contrast-induced AKI. The overall results were not materially changed in metaregressions or subgroup and sensitivity analyses.
LIMITATIONS
Patient-level data were unavailable; unable to include some treatment agents; low event rates; imbalanced distribution of participants among treatment strategies.
CONCLUSIONS
High-dose statins plus hydration with or without NAC might be the preferred treatment strategy to prevent contrast-induced AKI in patients undergoing diagnostic and/or interventional procedures requiring contrast media.
Topics: Acute Kidney Injury; Bayes Theorem; Contrast Media; Humans; Network Meta-Analysis; Treatment Outcome
PubMed: 27707552
DOI: 10.1053/j.ajkd.2016.07.033 -
Journal of Pharmacy & Bioallied Sciences Jul 2023Class II mandibular furcation defect is a periodontal condition characterized by a cul-de-sac lesion, a definite parallel constituent with only a portion of alveolar...
Class II mandibular furcation defect is a periodontal condition characterized by a cul-de-sac lesion, a definite parallel constituent with only a portion of alveolar bone remaining intact. There may be involvement of vertical bone loss. Local drug deliveries such as Boric acid, alendronate gel, and other drugs exhibited anti-inflammatory, antibacterial & osteoblastic differentiation activity. The present systematic review compares the drugs based on their outcomes and pharmacological action. To analzse & compare various forms of local drug delivery systems on a class II furcation. A search was conducted using PubMed, Google scholar, science direct, and Pub Med central using MeSH terms - local drug delivery in periodontics, boric acid in the management of class II mandibular furcation, simvastatin in the treatment of furcation. A total of 560 articles were screened; 58 out of 560 were full-text articles accessed for eligibility, and five articles were included in the systematic review. PRISMA guidelines were used for reporting this review. In addition, five randomized controlled trials were enclosed and used in this systematic review. The various local drugs used in treating class II mandibular furcation defects are effective in the prevention of bleeding on probing, bone resorption, gingival bleeding index and increase in the bone fill, and microbial deposit removal. The managing of class II mandibular furcation defect with the drugs mentioned in this review can be effective by reducing several clinical parameters such as bleeding on probing, gingival indices, osteoblastic differentiation, bone fill, etc., Considering the results of the studies, it can be concluded that it can be used as a therapeutic therapy against class II furcation defects with positive outcomes.
PubMed: 37654351
DOI: 10.4103/jpbs.jpbs_572_22 -
The Cochrane Database of Systematic... Mar 2015Acute kidney injury (AKI) is common in patients undergoing cardiac surgery among whom it is associated with poor outcomes, prolonged hospital stays and increased... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
BACKGROUND
Acute kidney injury (AKI) is common in patients undergoing cardiac surgery among whom it is associated with poor outcomes, prolonged hospital stays and increased mortality. Statin drugs can produce more than one effect independent of their lipid lowering effect, and may improve kidney injury through inhibition of postoperative inflammatory responses.
OBJECTIVES
This review aimed to look at the evidence supporting the benefits of perioperative statins for AKI prevention in hospitalised adults after surgery who require cardiac bypass. The main objectives were to 1) determine whether use of statins was associated with preventing AKI development; 2) determine whether use of statins was associated with reductions in in-hospital mortality; 3) determine whether use of statins was associated with reduced need for RRT; and 4) determine any adverse effects associated with the use of statins.
SEARCH METHODS
We searched the Cochrane Renal Group's Specialised Register to 13 January 2015 through contact with the Trials' Search Co-ordinator using search terms relevant to this review.
SELECTION CRITERIA
Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) that compared administration of statin therapy with placebo or standard clinical care in adult patients undergoing surgery requiring cardiopulmonary bypass and reporting AKI, serum creatinine (SCr) or need for renal replacement therapy (RRT) as an outcome were eligible for inclusion. All forms and dosages of statins in conjunction with any duration of pre-operative therapy were considered for inclusion in this review.
DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS
All authors extracted data independently and assessments were cross-checked by a second author. Likewise, assessment of study risk of bias was initially conducted by one author and then by a second author to ensure accuracy. Disagreements were arbitrated among authors until consensus was reached. Authors from two of the included studies provided additional data surrounding post-operative SCr as well as need for RRT. Meta-analyses were used to assess the outcomes of AKI, SCr and mortality rate. Data for the outcomes of RRT and adverse effects were not pooled. Adverse effects taken into account were those reported by the authors of included studies.
MAIN RESULTS
We included seven studies (662 participants) in this review. All except one study was assessed as being at high risk of bias. Three studies assessed atorvastatin, three assessed simvastatin and one investigated rosuvastatin. All studies collected data during the immediate perioperative period only; data collection to hospital discharge and postoperative biochemical data collection ranged from 24 hours to 7 days. Overall, pre-operative statin treatment was not associated with a reduction in postoperative AKI, need for RRT, or mortality. Only two studies (195 participants) reported postoperative SCr level. In those studies, patients allocated to receive statins had lower postoperative SCr concentrations compared with those allocated to no drug treatment/placebo (MD 21.2 µmol/L, 95% CI -31.1 to -11.1). Adverse effects were adequately reported in only one study; no difference was found between the statin group compared to placebo.
AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS
Analysis of currently available data did not suggest that preoperative statin use is associated with decreased incidence of AKI in adults after surgery who required cardiac bypass. Although a significant reduction in SCr was seen postoperatively in people treated with statins, this result was driven by results from a single study, where SCr was considered as a secondary outcome. The results of the meta-analysis should be interpreted with caution; few studies were included in subgroup analyses, and significant differences in methodology exist among the included studies. Large high quality RCTs are required to establish the safety and efficacy of statins to prevent AKI after cardiac surgery.
Topics: Acute Kidney Injury; Adult; Atorvastatin; Cardiac Surgical Procedures; Cardiopulmonary Bypass; Coronary Artery Bypass; Creatinine; Fluorobenzenes; Heptanoic Acids; Humans; Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors; Length of Stay; Pyrimidines; Pyrroles; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Renal Replacement Therapy; Rosuvastatin Calcium; Simvastatin; Sulfonamides
PubMed: 25758322
DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD010480.pub2 -
PloS One 2019Previous research has shown that statin adherence for the primary prevention of CVD is lower compared to secondary prevention populations. Therefore the aim of this...
INTRODUCTION
Previous research has shown that statin adherence for the primary prevention of CVD is lower compared to secondary prevention populations. Therefore the aim of this systematic review was to review predictors of statin adherence for the primary prevention of CVD.
METHODS
A systematic search of papers published between Jan 1984 and May 2017 was conducted in PubMed, PsycINFO, EMbase and CINAHL databases. A study was eligible for inclusion if; 1) it was a study of the general population or of patients with familial hypercholesterolemia, hypertension, diabetes or arthritis; 2) statins were prescribed; 3) adherence was defined and measured as the extent to which patients followed their statin regimen during the period of prescription, and 4) it was an original trial or observational study (excluding case reports). A study was subsequently excluded if 1) results were not presented separately for primary prevention; 2) it was a trial of an intervention (for example patient education). Papers were reviewed by two researchers and consensus agreed with a third. A quality assessment (QA) tool was used to formally assess each included article. To evaluate the effect of predictors, data were quantitatively and qualitatively synthesised.
RESULTS
In total 19 studies met the inclusion criteria and nine were evaluated as high quality using the QA tool. The proportion of patients classed as "adherent" ranged from 17.8% to 79.2%. Potential predictors of statin adherence included traditional risk factors for CVD such as age, being male, diabetes and hypertension. Income associated with adherence more strongly in men than women, and highly educated men were more likely and highly educated women less likely to be adherent. Alcohol misuse and high BMI associated with non-adherence. There was no association between polypharmacy and statin adherence. The evidence base for the effect of other lifestyle factors and health beliefs on statin adherence was limited.
CONCLUSION
Current evidence suggests that patients with more traditional risk factors for CVD are more likely to be adherent to statins. The implications for future research are discussed.
Topics: Aged; Cardiovascular Diseases; Female; Humans; Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors; Male; Medication Adherence; Middle Aged; Primary Prevention; Risk Factors
PubMed: 30653535
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0201196 -
Frontiers in Pharmacology 2022We aim to compare the effectiveness of different drug treatments in improving recurrence in patients with chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH). Eligible randomized...
We aim to compare the effectiveness of different drug treatments in improving recurrence in patients with chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH). Eligible randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and prospective trials were searched in PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Embase, from database inception to December 2021. After the available studies following inclusion and exclusion criteria were screened, the main outcome measures were strictly extracted. Taking the random-effects model, dichotomous data were determined and extracted by odds ratio (OR) with 95% credible interval (CrI), and a surface under the cumulative ranking curve (SUCRA) was generated to calculate the ranking probability of comparative effectiveness among each drug intervention. Moreover, we used the node-splitting model to evaluate inconsistency between direct and indirect comparisons of our network meta-analysis (NMA). Funnel plots were used to evaluate publication bias. From the 318 articles found during initial citation screening, 11 RCTs and 3 prospective trials ( = 3,456 participants) were ultimately included in our study. Our NMA results illustrated that atorvastatin + dexamethasone (ATO+DXM) (OR = 0.06, 95% CrI 0.01, 0.89) was the most effective intervention to improve recurrence in patients with CSDH (SUCRA = 89.40%, 95% CrI 0.29, 1.00). Four drug interventions [ATO+DXM (OR = 0.06, 95% CrI 0.01, 0.89), DXM (OR = 0.18, 95% CrI 0.07, 0.41), tranexamic acid (TXA) (OR = 0.26, 95% CrI 0.07, 0.41), and ATO (OR = 0.41, 95% CrI 0.12, 0.90)] achieved statistical significance in improving recurrence in CSDH patients compared with the placebo (PLB) or standard neurosurgical treatment (SNT) group. Our NMA showed that ATO+DXM, DXM, ATO, and TXA had definite efficacy in improving recurrence in CSDH patients. Among them, ATO+DXM is the best intervention for improving recurrence in patients with CSDH in this particular population. Multicenter rigorous designed prospective randomized trials are still needed to evaluate the role of various drug interventions in improving neurological function or outcome. (https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=299491), identifier (CRD 42022299491).
PubMed: 35401183
DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.845386 -
Hellenic Journal of Cardiology : HJC =... 2019Observational studies have suggested that statins might reduce postoperative atrial fibrillation (AF) in patients undergoing cardiac surgery. However, a number of...
BACKGROUND
Observational studies have suggested that statins might reduce postoperative atrial fibrillation (AF) in patients undergoing cardiac surgery. However, a number of retrospective studies have shown equivocal results. We aimed to evaluate whether different statins can reduce the risk for AF at different doses.
METHODS
We searched PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Database for all published randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that examined the effects of statin therapy on AF up to June 2016. A random-effects model was used when there was substantial heterogeneity.
RESULTS
Eighteen published studies that included 4003 statin-naive patients (2009 receiving satins and 1994 receiving regime) with sinus rhythm before cardiac surgeries were identified for inclusion in the analysis. Thirteen studies investigated the prevention of AF by atorvastatin, two studies investigated the prevention of AF by rosuvastatin, two studies investigated the prevention of AF by simvastatin, and one study investigated the prevention of AF by pravastatin. The remaining two studies compared the effects of different doses of atorvastatin on the prevention of AF in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). Overall, statin therapy was associated with a significant decrease in the risk for AF (relative risk [RR]: 0.57, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.45-0.73, P = 0.000). However, subgroup analyses showed that only atorvastatin reduced the risk for new-onset AF in patients after cardiac surgery (RR: 0.53, 95% CI: 0.41-0.69, P = 0.000). Patients undergoing CABG possibly received more benefits from statin therapy (RR: 0.52, 95% CI: 0.39-0.68).Statin therapy in a moderate dose may be optimal (RR: 0.42, 95% CI: 0.28-0.64).
CONCLUSIONS
This meta-analysis suggests that statin therapy has an overall protective effect against postoperative AF, among which atorvastatin in a moderate dose was significantly associated with a decreased risk for new-onset AF in patients after CABG. Moreover, simvastatin may also exert a significant protective effect against the AF recurrences in patients undergoing cardiac surgeries; hence, further prospective studies are warranted.
Topics: Atorvastatin; Atrial Fibrillation; Cardiac Surgical Procedures; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Humans; Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors; Postoperative Complications; Prognosis
PubMed: 29307691
DOI: 10.1016/j.hjc.2017.12.012